Ten Somali men suspected of being pirates and captured by the United States Navy last month pleaded their innocence at the start of a trial intended to deter rampant piracy off the coast of Somalia. During the hearing in the Kenyan port of Mombasa, the men argued that they had been illegally kidnapped by an American ship patrolling in waters where there has been a surge of attacks and hijackings in the last year. They face a possible life sentence if convicted, court officials in Mombasa said. The United States Navy pursued and caught their ship, with 16 Indian sailors believed to be hostages on board, near Mogadishu.